1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an innovative hinge wing, of the type that is mountable on a furniture component without the need for using tools.
2. State of the Prior Art
The hardware market for furniture has always been sensitive to innovations that enable more rapid and stable fixing of the hardware elements to the wooden panels. In particular, in the case of furniture for the “do it yourself” market so-called “tool-less mounting” (TLM) fixing systems are increasingly appreciated that ensure secure fixing without resorting to any type of tool such as a screwdriver or hammer.
TLM systems have in particular been used for fixing cup-type wings (i.e. those provided with a “box”) in the appropriate holes that are traditionally obtained in the wall of the furniture.
Currently known products do however, have intrinsic manufacturing difficulties that are mainly due to the fact that the energy required to achieve fixing of the cup has to be provided by resorting to a minimum movement of movable parts such as cams or levers moved manually.
For example, the hinge wings disclosed in the patents EP 0610765 and GB 2027482 provide for the force necessary for expanding the side jaws of the box being obtained by rotating a lever by 90° that is located on top of the flange of the box. In this short movement, which is quantifiable as 15-20 mm, the hand that exerts the thrust on the lever has to provide all the energy necessary for achieving correct fixing: as can be imagined, this is a situation that is very disadvantageous compared with the traditional type of fixing where the work is performed on two screws that are screwed into the wood with about 3 turns of penetration inside the door. The problem is particularly serious when it is considered that the hinge wing can be applied to materials of different type and resistance, such as chipboard and solid wood: a fixing mechanism for fixing the cup that is sufficient for softer material risks requiring excessive force fixing on a harder material. On the other hand a mechanism that enables sufficient fixing to be obtained with acceptable force on a hard material risks not providing sufficient strength guarantees on a softer material.
An object of the present invention is to remedy the aforesaid drawbacks by providing a hinge wing that is rapidly mountable and is reliable without the need to use tools.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge wing that can be applied to a furniture component, obtaining similar strength values on various (more or less hard) materials with minimum variations in the required fixing force.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge wing that has a simple and cheap structure.